CardiB - User Guide

1. Introduction

CardiBuddy (CardiB) is for students who prefer to use a desktop app to store their revision materials as flashcards. More importantly, CardiB is optimized for those who prefer to work with a Command Line Interface (CLI) while still having the benefits of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). If you can type fast, CardiB can help you to store revision materials quickly. The self-testing features will definitely help you to ace your examinations as opposed to traditional ways of revision by re-reading lecture notes. Interested? Jump to Section 2, “Quick Start” to get started. Enjoy!

2. Quick Start

Ensure you have Java 11 or above installed in your Computer.
Download the latest cardibuddy.jar here.
Copy the file to the folder you want to use as the home folder for your CardiBuddy.
Double-click the file to start the app. The GUI should appear in a few seconds.
Type the command in the command box and press Enter to execute it.
e.g. typing help and pressing Enter will open the help window.
Some example commands you can try:
- list : lists all decks
- addd/CS1101S t/Basics : adds an empty deck titled CS1101S to the CardiBuddy.
- open 1 : opens the 1st deck shown in the current list
- delete deck3 : deletes the 3rd deck shown in the current list
- exit : exits the app
Refer to Section 3, “Features” for details of each command.

3. Features

Application-specific Terminologies

Decks are the containers that contain the flashcard. A flashcard can only exist in a deck.
Flashcards are cards that contain revision materials, specifically a question and an answer.
Test Session emulates how you would test yourself with a deck of flashcards in real life. You get to view each flashcard in a chosen deck one by one, question first. Once you have decided on your answer to it, you can 'flip' the flashcard and see the answer. See here for more details on using test sessions.
Statistics is the numerical, summarized version of your data, based on your test history. Your statistics can serve as a guideline for you to decide which areas you need to work on, and which areas you are familiar with.

Common Terminologies

File path specifies the unique location of a file in a file system from the root directory.

Command Format

Words in UPPER_CASE are the parameters to be supplied by the user e.g. in add d/TITLE, TITLE is a parameter which can be used as add d/CS1101S.
Items in square brackets are optional e.g d/TITLE [t/TAG] can be used as d/CS1101S t/Basics or as d/CS1101S.
Items with … after them can be used multiple times including zero times e.g. [t/TAG]… can be used as (i.e. 0 times), t/Easy, t/Easy t/Basics etc.
Parameters can be in any order e.g. if the command specifies d/TITLE t/TAG, t/TAG d/TITLE is also acceptable.

Special Icons

:bulb: is used to signal information that is helpful for the users to know.

3.1. Basic Features

3.1.1. Viewing help : `help`

Opens a window that links to this User Guide.
Format: help

3.1.2. Saving data

The data is automatically saved into the hard disk after the user enters any command that changes the data

There is no need to save manually.

3.1.3. Exiting program: `exit`

Exits the program. Format: exit

3.2. Opening

3.2.1. Opening a deck: `open`

Opens an existing deck in the library. Format: open DECK_INDEX

Shows a list of all the cards in the deck.
Format: open 1

3.3. Adding

3.3.1. Adding a deck: `add d/TITLE`

Creates a new deck to be added to the library. Format: add d/TITLE [t/TAG]…

Tag names are alphanumeric with no spaces E.g. t/Core Module is an invalid tag while t/CoreModule is valid.

Examples:

add d/CS2103
Returns a new deck titled CS2103
add d/CS1101S t/Easy t/Basics
Adds a new deck titled CS1101S with the tags Easy and Basics

3.3.2. Adding a normal card: `add q/QUESTION a/ANSWER`

Creates a new card to be added to the deck. Format: add q/QUESTION a/ANSWER

These are the three types of ANSWER and their corresponding formats:
1. T/F — T or F
2. MCQ — A)CHOICE_A B)CHOICE_B C)CHOICE_C with the correct option being entered first, the order of the next two does not matter
3. Short Answer — ANY_TEXT

The deck to be added in must be opened for you to add a card.

Examples:

open 2
add q/How does one go about solving recursion problems? a/Wishful thinking
Adds a new card with a Short Answer type belonging to the opened deck indexed at 2.
open 1
add q/Is defensive code desirable at all times? a/F
Adds a new card with a T/F answer type belonging to the opened deck indexed at 1.

3.3.3. Adding an image card: `add p/file:FILE_PATH_TO_IMAGE q/QUESTION a/ANSWER`

Creates a new image card to be added to the deck. Format: add p/file:FILE_PATH_TO_IMAGE q/QUESTION a/ANSWER

The deck to be added in must be opened for you to add a card.
The images can only be PNG or JPG files.
The FILE_PATH_TO_IMAGE must end with .png or .jpg suffix.

Examples:

open 1
add p/file:/Users/qiujingying/Documents/GitHub/cs2103/main/docs/images/ArchitectureDiagram.png q/What type of diagram is this? a/B)Architecture Diagram A)Sequence Diagram C)Object Diagram
Adds a new card with an image and MCQ answer type belonging to the opened deck indexed at 1. Note that the correct answer is B as it is the first choice entered.

You can drag and drop the image you want to add into a terminal window to obtain its file path. File paths may differ across operating systems (Windows vs Mac).

3.3.4. Adding an image card via the Image button: `q/QUESTION a/ANSWER`

This is a shortcut for users who do not want to search for the file path. Format: q/QUESTION a/ANSWER

The deck to be added in must be opened, before you click on the button, for you to add a card.
Do note the differences in the command to be entered. There is no add or p/IMAGE_FILEPATH inputs that are required.

Examples:

open 1
click on button and choose image
q/What type of diagram is this? a/B)Architecture Diagram A)Sequence Diagram C)Object Diagram
Adds a new card with an image and MCQ answer type belonging to the opened deck indexed at 1.

3.4. Editing

3.4.1. Editing a deck: `edit`

Edits an existing deck in the library. Format: edit deck DECK_INDEX [d/TITLE] [t/TAG]…

Edits the decks at the specified DECK_INDEX. The index refers to the index number shown in the complete list of decks. The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …
At least one of the optional fields must be provided.
Existing values will be updated to the input values.
When editing tags, the existing tags of the deck will be removed i.e adding of tags is not cumulative.
You can remove all the deck’s tags by typing t/ without specifying any tags after it. If not, the tags will not be removed.

Examples:

edit deck 1 d/CS2103T
Edits the title of the 1st deck to be CS2103T without removing existing tags.
edit deck 2 d/CS2040 t/
Edits the title of the 2nd deck to be CS2040 and clears all existing tags.

3.4.2. Editing a card: `edit card`

Edits an existing card in the deck. Format: edit card CARD_INDEX [q/QUESTION] [a/ANSWER] [t/TAG]…

You must open a deck before you can edit a flashcard. A flashcard can only exist inside a deck.
Edits the card at the specified CARD_INDEX. The index refers to the index number shown in the complete list of decks. The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …
At least one of the optional fields must be provided.
Existing values will be updated to the input values.
When editing tags, the existing tags of the card will be removed i.e adding of tags is not cumulative.
You can remove all the card’s tags by typing t/ without specifying any tags after it.

Examples:

open 1
edit card 1 q/What does MVC stand for?
Opens the first deck and tEdits the question of the 1st card to be What does MVC stand for?.
open 1
edit card 2 a/cs2040 t/
Edits the answer of the 2nd card to be cs2040 and clears all existing tags.

3.5. Listing

3.5.1. Listing all decks: `list`

Shows a list of all the decks in the library and hides the displayed cards (if any).
Format: list

3.6. Clearing

3.6.1. Clearing all decks: `clear`

Clears all deck entries from the library.
Format: clear

3.7. Deleting

3.7.1. Deleting a deck: `delete deck`

Deletes the specified deck from the library. Format: delete deck DECK_INDEX

Deletes the deck at the specified DECK_INDEX.
The index refers to the index number shown in the complete list of decks.
The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …

Examples:

list decks
delete deck 2
Deletes the 2nd deck in the library.
search deck cs2030
delete deck 1
Deletes the 1st deck in the results of the search command.

3.7.2. Deleting a card: `delete card`

Deletes the specified card from the currently open deck. Format: delete INDEX

You must open a deck before you can delete a flashcard. A flashcard can only exist inside a deck.
Deletes the card at the specified INDEX of the deck.
The index refers to the index number shown in the complete list of flashcards in the deck.
The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …

Examples:

open 1
delete card 2
Opens the first deck and deletes the 2nd flash card in the deck.
search card java
delete card 1
Deletes the 1st card in the results of the search card command.

3.8. Searching

3.8.1. Searching for a deck: `search deck`

Searches for the decks with titles that contain any of the given keywords or all of the keywords concatenated with the & symbol. Format: search deck KEYWORD [&] [MORE_KEYWORDS]

If the search has a & symbol, only decks with the words concatenated before and after the symbol will be returned.
The search is case insensitive. e.g cs2040 will match CS2040
The order of the keywords does not matter. e.g. Science Module will match Module Science
Only titles of the decks are searched.
The keyword needs to match a word within the deck’s title exactly . e.g. cs will not match with cs2030

Examples:

search deck database
Displays decks with the word database in the titles.
search deck database & relational
Displays decks with both of the words database and relational in the titles.

3.8.2. Searching for a card: `search card`

Finds the cards with a question that contain any of the given keywords. Format: search card KEYWORD [&] [MORE_KEYWORDS]

A deck needs to be opened for the search card command to work. The command will only search for cards in the opened deck.
If the search has a & symbol, only cards with the words concatenated before and after the symbol, in the question, will be returned.
The search is case insensitive. e.g programming will match Programming.
The order of the keywords does not matter. e.g. Javascript programming language will match with programming language Javascript.
The keyword needs to match a word within the question exactly. e.g. Java will not match with Javascript.

Examples:

search card principle
Displays cards with the word principle in the questions.
search card diagram & UML
Displays decks with both of the words diagram and UML in the questions.

3.9. Filtering

3.9.1. Filtering by tags: `filter`

Filters across all decks and only displays the decks with the specific tag. Format: filter TAGNAME [&] [MORE_TAGNAMES]

If the search has a & symbol, only decks with the tags concatenated before and after the symbol will be returned.
Filtering by tag is case insensitive. e.g hard will match Hard

Examples:

filter hard
Displays decks with the tag hard.
filter hard & coremodule
Displays decks with both the tags hard and coremodule.

3.10. Testing

3.10.1. Overview

Of course, you did not create all those decks and flashcards just so you can admire them! It’s time to get your revision on. Start a test session for a deck to begin testing yourself!

A test session works just like how flashcard testing works in real life - You look at the question, think of the answer, and 'flip' the card around to see if your answer matches the one on the flashcard.

The difference here is that you do not need to manually keep track of how many flashcards you got right and wrong — CardiBuddy does all that for you!

In addition, you will also get to see a summary of how you’ve done at the end of your test session.

3.10.2. Retesting

A test session in CardiBuddy is special - it includes a retesting feature to make sure you know your content well.

When you answer a flashcard’s question wrongly, you will encounter it again later on in the same test session. There is no need to do this manually - CardiBuddy does this for you too.

Hence if you keep getting a question wrong, a test session can go on and on forever - unless you finally get it right, or you manually quit the test session!

3.10.3. Starting a test session for a deck: `test INDEX`

To start your test session, replace INDEX with the index number of the deck you wish to test. This number will be to the left of the title of your deck, when you are viewing all your decks as a list.

What this command does:

A test session will immediately replace the normal deck and flashcard list view.
The first question of the test session will be shown to you.

Example Usage:

test 1
Creates a test session for the 1st deck.

3.10.4. To answer the question: `ans YOUR_ANSWER`

Replace YOUR ANSWER with your answer to the displayed question.

What this command does:

Submits your answer, and checks your answer against the flashcard’s stored answer
Displays the result of your answer (CORRECT or WRONG)
Displays your answer and the flashcard’s answer

Example Usage:

ans CardiBuddy
To answer the question: "What is the name of this application?"

3.10.5. Don’t want to answer? Skip a question with: `skip`

What this command does:

If you already know the answer to the question, and don’t want to waste your time answering it, just type skip to go to the next question.
Your skipped flashcard will not impact your overall test score, and CardiBuddy will merely remove it from your current test session.

Note:

You can use this command if either:
- You have not answered the question.
- You have answered the question, but you got it wrong.
CardiBuddy will not let you use skip if you have already gotten that question correct.

3.10.6. To force your wrong answer to be marked as correct: `force`

What this command does:

CardiBuddy’s uses automated marking to mark your answers. It takes your answer word for word when checking against the model answer stored in your flashcard.
If your answer differs from the model answer, it will be marked as wrong.
After submitting your answer, you will get to see the model answer and your answer, for you to compare them.
If you feel that your answer still meets the question’s requirements, you can force your answer to be marked as correct.

3.10.7. To go to the next question: `next`

What this command does:

After submitting your answer, type next to go to the next question (if there are any left to test).

Note:

You can only type next once you have submitted your answer.

3.10.8. Quit the test session halfway: `quit`

What this command does:

Allows you to quit the current test session even before it is completed.

3.11. Displaying History

3.11.1. Displaying the command history: 'history'

Displays all the commands that has been inputted by the user during the current session. Format: 'history'

3.12. Undo/Redo

3.12.1. Undoing command: `undo`

Undoes latest deck-level command. Format: undo

3.12.2. Redoing command: `redo`

Redoes latest deck-level command. Format: redo

3.13. Detecting duplicates

3.13.1. Detecting duplicate deck

Upon adding a new deck, the application automatically checks if there are any existing decks with the same title. Only decks with unique titles can be successfully added.

3.13.2. Detecting duplicate card

Upon adding a new card to a specific deck, the application automatically checks if there are any existing cards with the same question in that deck. Only cards with unique questions can be successfully added.

If there is a card with the same question but it is in a different deck, the card can still be successfully added.

3.14. Statistics

Shows the number of Decks/Cards created and deleted, number of Test Sessions played, average correct percentage, average number of tries for each question.
Includes a line graph of the history of test previous test results.

3.14.1. Displaying all statistics: `statistics`

Displays the statistics across all decks. Format: statistics

3.14.2. Displaying statistics of a certain Deck: `statistics`

Displays the statistics of a specific deck. Format: statistics INDEX

Example:

statistics 2
Shows the statistics of the deck with the shown index of 2.

3.14.3. Displaying statistics of a test session of a certain Deck: `statistics`

Displays the statistics of a test session of a specific deck. Format: statistics INDEX TEST_SESSION_INDEX

Example:

statistics 2 3
Shows the statistics of the 3rd test session of the deck with the shown index of 2.

Add deck : add d/TITLE [t/TAG]…
e.g. add d/CS2030 t/Fundamentals t/Medium
Add normal card : add q/QUESTION a/ANSWER
e.g. add q/What does OOP stand for? a/Object Oriented Programming
Add image card : add p/file:FILE_PATH_TO_IMAGE q/QUESTION a/ANSWER
e.g. add p/file:/Users/foo/ObjectDiagram.png q/Which SOLID principle did the code not adhere to? a/Single Responsibility Principle
Clear : clear
Delete deck/card : delete deck/card INDEX
e.g. delete deck 3
Edit : edit INDEX [d/TITLE] [t/TAG]…
e.g. edit 2 d/CS2103T t/
Exit : exit
Force : force
Filter : filter TAGNAME [&] [MORE_TAGNAMES]
e.g. filter hard & CS
History : history
Next : next
List : list
Next : next
Open : open INDEX
e.g. open 2
Quit : quit
Search deck/card : search deck/card KEYWORD [&] [MORE_KEYWORDS]
e.g. search database & relational
Statistics deck/card : search deck/card KEYWORD [&] [MORE_KEYWORDS]
e.g. search database & relational
Redo : redo
Statistics : statistics
Test : test INDEX
e.g. test 1
Undo : undo